The Questions Jesus Asked Part 14
This week in our Questions Jesus Asked series we are looking at a question Jesus asks in John 20:15, “why are you crying”. We are also celebrating Easter and we are going to tie in the events of the that first resurrection morning with our question today.
John 20:14-15 (NIV)
14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. 15 “Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
A few weeks ago we talked about the last supper and how Jesus was setting all the mess of Adam right. As we celebrate Easter, I want to look at some more ways that Jesus (the second Adam) is setting the mess of the first Adam right.
Thinking He was the Gardener
There is a great connection here that we need to see between Jesus (the second Adam) and the first Adam. Back in Genesis 2 we find out that Adam was actually a gardener.
Genesis 2:15 (NIV)
15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
After Adam sinned there were two judgments that God put upon the earth because of his disobedience.
Genesis 3:17b-19 (NIV)
17 …”Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”
By the sweat of his brow, Adam would earn his bread. And also, the earth would bring forth thorns and thistles.
By the Sweat of Your Brow
The suffering of Jesus begins in the Garden of Gethsemane. It is a picture of a new Adam in a garden. Remember from the Genesis 3 passage we just read that the first curse was that the earth would resist man’s work and so it would bring sweat to his brow.
Luke 22:44 (NIV)
44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
His brow begins to sweat like drops of blood. It’s not blood, it is described like that to highlight a point. By that sweat, He is earning for us the bread of life.
And then, the other curse was that the earth would also bring forth thorns and thistles. Jesus would soon have to endure a crown of thorns from the Romans.
Matthew 27:29 (NIV)
29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said.
They press it down upon that same brow. Jesus is taking upon Himself the consequences of Adam’s sin. Do you see the connection? Jesus is very personally taking the consequences of those curses upon Himself and He is setting them right.
Jesus is setting the things of Adam right. If He’s taking Adam’s sin upon Himself, does that not then mean that perhaps He could also take my sin upon Himself? And yours? He’s redeeming Adam, but, even more than that, Jesus is redeeming us from all of our mess as well. He’s taking all of that upon Himself because He wants to be in relationship with us.
We will be making even more connections this weekend at Keys Vineyard Church so make plans to attend in-person or watch online.
Steve Lawes is a church encourager and the lead pastor of Keys Vineyard Church.
